Tokyo Abyss
by Chibizoo
Summary: A new era begins after the Fall of Crystal Tokyo. An Era marking the generation of a strange breed of vampire and cybernetic human. And, an era with the strange appearance of the Network, an overpowering supercomputer, dominated by society. Dare to enter.
1. Default Chapter

Welcome to this world. A world shattered by billions of delicate illusions, held together by a fine web of   
power. A web of corruption. Welcome to a society on the brink of devastation, its city and buildings held   
together only by dark harmony. And welcome to the new emerging revolution, a silent revolution sweeping   
across the shadows, marked only by the essence of cybernetics and blood. For, after the fall of Crystal   
Tokyo, after the fall of perfection, the fall from grace, humans are no longer what they appear to be.   
  
Welcome to Tokyo 4027 AD – Tokyo Abyss.   
  
bContext 1: Prelude of the Nightwalkers/b  
  
Again the weather report had been wrong. Yet, that was to be expected. As the treacherous rain   
tumulted down, hissing with an acidic tinge, everyone had already been long prepared. The question how   
was simple enough – one didn't need the trust of someone else; they only needed the Network, accessed by   
any diligent, crafty mind. Friendship outside a family was rare these days, and the matter of raw love   
replaced by voracious lust. It was the type of mood this city was always in, struggling even in the darkness   
to survive at all costs. Anything before the Fall was kept preserved, dying with the minds that remembered   
Crystal Tokyo. Such thoughts were best to be kept to themselves.   
  
And on the empty streets a lone figure stood: daunting, daring, face concealed by the shadows of a   
cloak. Momentarily, the shadowed figure looked up, not minding the rain pouring down its face. Normally,   
this would not go unnoticed; however, this rain was not a normal type of rain. Neither was this person a   
normal type of person. If indeed it could be called a person at all.   
  
There was suddenly a loud click, one that penetrated the constant dull thudding of the rain. The   
figure immediately snapped its head to one side, hidden eyes identifying the source.   
  
Another human appeared, this one a burly tall man, the typical square frame and squat features   
marking an absence of intelligence on his face.   
  
The first cloaked figure showed no reaction, and returned to staring at the rain.   
  
"Hey, you!" The tall-squat man commanded, his voice resonating off the humid air. Of course, he   
got no reply.   
He himself was wearing the typical full body-covering armour of a self-promoted Officer, one of   
the few strains of police still left with enough respect to govern/bully the citizens. And he felt pretty cocky   
tonight, cracking his knuckles loudly in anticipation.   
  
The figure continued to ignore him.   
  
A reddish tinge was developing on his cheeks now, blossoming to cover his entire face. It was not   
often that people ignored him, lest a lone figure with no apparent weapon of self-defense. He licked his lips   
and tried again. "I said, you! Come here and face me!"   
  
Rain continued to pour, and the Officer noticed for the first time that the figure's cloak did not   
reach far enough to cover the acid-rain prone face. He stepped back in shock.   
  
"You…"   
Immediately, he withdrew his plasma-gun, charging towards the figure at full speed. There was no   
mistaking now what type of person lay behind that cloak. The safety on the gun had long been released, and   
he fired three precise shots, each one a lethal blast that left a bloodied mess of skin and smoldered flesh on   
the target. And he continued to run, charging with his full armoured bulk at the cloaked person.   
  
Almost lazily, the figure shifted to one side, letting him stumble past and fall in a loud clank of   
metal. It stared with its concealed face almost amusedly at its own injured arm, as if the pain of the wound   
was not part of it. Then, with the same arm, the figure pulled the cloak off its face.  
  
And any sense of doubt on whether or not the figure was human was completely erased. The   
person had a beautiful face, almost a bit too feminine, although worn down with a hardened, resigned look   
of experience. Cropped dirty blonde hair and green-grey eyes flashed with unnatural radiance as sharp   
canines protruding gently from each side penetrated rouge-coloured lips only slightly. And the figure   
smiled.   
  
The Officer's face was a mask of hatred and determination. "Die, bastard!" He screamed at the   
other, shooting with his plasma-gun for all that he was worth.   
  
Some of the bullets hit and exploded in a bloody mess, but others seemed to only recoil and   
bounce off the target. And none hit the figure's beautiful almost angelic face. There was another click, and   
only then did the Officer realize that he was out of bullets. He swore again, fumbling in his pocket for more   
ammunition. And suddenly, he was face to face with the twin emerald-grey eyes, eyes that burned with icy   
fire.   
  
"Sorry," the figure sneered back in a stately refined tone, "but I'm actually a bitch."  
  
And she opened her mouth to let her incisors shine a hidden gleam, enjoying the terror in his face.   
Without the slightest warning, her mouth was along his neck, firm hands holding his broken armour-  
covered body, preventing him from thrashing too hard as her canines pierced his skin.   
  
Eventually, the body became still, and she withdrew from her meal, wiping the blood from her   
mouth with the back of her hands in an absentminded fashion. She watched with amusement as some of the   
warm crimson liquid still trickled down her hand, and gently licked it clean, reveling in the taste.   
  
Another cloaked figure suddenly appeared in what seemed like thin air, to step beside the first.   
The new figure also took off its hood, revealing a stunningly attractive face, wreathed in teal-green hair and   
dark molten-blue eyes.   
  
The first didn't even flinch, and continued to lick the offending blood off her fingers.   
  
"You know, you should clean up before you eat." The teal-haired one commented, wrinkling her   
face a bit in disgust at the first's mangled arm.   
  
"Hnn." The dirty-blonde only said, and sensing her partner's displeasure, touched her own arm   
gingerly. Immediately, a network of wires protruded from what would have been the burnt muscle tissue   
from the flesh of the wound, wrapping themselves in multitude of tangles and electric sparks.   
  
The blonde held up her newly-repaired arm, watching the interior muscle-simulated wires return to   
reform their basic structure, while others still tattooed her skin. She bared her fangs in a smile. "Happy   
now?"  
  
The other purred, coiling herself seductively around her partner. "Not as happy as I'd like to feel."  
  
"Oh, I can arrange that." The dirty blonde returned the coy smile, carrying her partner in her arms.   
  
Both figures seem to waver for a moment before disappearing in the shadows. Only the mangled   
corpse of the Officer, still bleeding quite freshly, was left in their wake. It gave the rats some satisfaction.   
  
  
  
  
She was typing furiously on the keyboard, eyes furrowed in complete concentration when they   
entered the room. Cropped raven-black hair flew around as deep violet eyes locked and identified the two   
intruders.   
  
"Took you long enough." She finally muttered, swiveling back on her chair to face the gigantic   
screen again. Another furious round of typing ensued.   
  
The teal-haired huntress shrugged. "Oh, it wasn't me. Haruka here decided that she might as well   
stop and take a snack on the way."  
  
The dirty blonde vampiress, Haruka, scowled, licking her tongue along her fangs. "Not my fault. I   
was heading back when this Officer decided to so rudely intrude."  
  
At that comment, her partner swatted Haruka softly on the shoulder. "You should have just   
finished him off. It's not nice to play with your food," she teased, letting her mouth work into a smile.  
  
Haruka arched an eyebrow at that comment. "Really? And who was it last time that decided to   
make their prey a living sculpture hmm?"  
  
"But it looked so nice in that pose." The teal haired-woman retorted, pouting a bit. "Don't you   
think so, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
Upon hearing her name, the raven-haired girl paused a moment. "I don't know Michiru," She   
drawled, looking skeptically the teal-haired vampress, "But I don't consider live bodies with bones   
protruding out of their skin to be very appetizing."  
  
Michiru's pout grew in intensity. "Its not supposed to be food – its art!" She commented. Upon   
seeing the bland looks her other two co-partners were giving her, the teal-haired woman finally resigned to   
sulking silently.   
  
Hotaru typed in a few key words before hitting a confirm key and turning back around. "So, did   
you find it?" She asked eagerly, eyes almost gleaming with anticipation.  
  
"Well, it depends on which 'it'", Haruka replied, revealing from her ammunition pouch a small   
disc, no larger than a thumbnail.   
  
The black-haired girl responded by almost squealing with pleasure. "That's gotta be it!"   
Immediately, she snatched the object with a brusque movement, inserting it into one of the several tubes   
laid out around the keyboard.   
  
Michiru shook her head. "You know, every day like this just keeps on getting harder and harder.   
Perhaps it would be better if we stopped drawing on money from our hired missions and looked for work in   
other fields."  
  
Haruka drew her face into a mock pout, quite strange-looking on a six-foot frame. "Aww… but I   
like being a mercenary assassin at large – it actually gives me a good reason for killing people. "  
  
"You know, we really should stop." Michiru countered, rubbing her temples. "Of course, we've   
committed so many sins already that it's most likely too late to stop."  
  
"I think it's a bit too late to be talking about sins." Haruka chuckled darkly. "After all, we are the   
source of everyone's sin these days, aren't we?"  
  
Haruka and Michiru had both lapsed into thought, leaving the only sound in the room a persistent   
clicking on the keyboard. Both were thinking about their pasts now, and the events that had led up to this.   
Frankly, neither Haruka, nor any of the others truly remembered what happened after the Fall of Crystal   
Tokyo – in fact, they didn't really even remember what had caused the fall. The only thing that they could   
recall was being re-created, re-granted lives, and set on the world once again to live against all odds.   
  
In other words, they should have been dead. All of them, every single senshi that had fought   
against the final battle, had died, along with their Queen and Crystal Tokyo. However, it was only by freak   
chance that a team of revolutionary scientists had re-covered the outer senshi's bodies relatively intact, and   
decided to experiment on them.   
  
The result?   
  
By interweaving the cybernetic core of the beloved Network database into the originally deceased   
minds of the outer senshi, the scientists and experimentators had managed to revive them. The organs, not   
able to function anymore, were replaced by a maze of circuitry, the brain's functions layered with silicon   
transistors and tiny microchips with the same capacity as a supercomputer. And chrome, steel, and most   
definitely, wires, replaced the nervous, skeletal, and muscular structure of the senshi.   
No, they were no longer senshi; more like a strange combination of metal, computer, and human.   
And they were not the first to be created in that manner – many had been made and served long before   
them. What differed from them and the older forms of andriod-humans were only two things.  
  
One: they had a complete, healthy mind with fully functioning memories, as well as leftover body parts and   
tissues. However, their absence of a heart required a need for blood. Thus, they became vampires, draining   
on blood to feed their own body and keep it living.  
  
Two: No cyborg-human that had ever lived could establish a perfect link with the Network. However, the   
original outer senshi were not ordinary humans; oh no, they were different and special. And so, their senshi   
powers were manifested into the memory and database of the Network, granting them an altogether   
different power. A different, and equally, if not more, destructive power. For all humans relied on the   
Network, as without the Network, total chaos would ensue. One of the Network's (minor) responsibilities   
was providing the technology and information that humans relied on. The other functions were so taken for   
granted that they listed from predicting and controlling a makeshift human government to exercising a   
power over humans. And the more a human linked with the Network, the more the Network manifested   
itself into him. A human with a superior knowledge and accessibility of the Network database was known   
as an Amplifier, the people whom others turned to in the times of crisis. It was the Network which solved   
the problems of the humans, the Network which predicted the consequences and restricted unlawful   
behaviour; the Network which preserved human society in general; the Network which gave access to   
every piece of information ever created or dealt with. Yet, the Network also had a darker side – one that   
only the most experienced knew and attempted vainly to suppress. And, that side was the side that had   
manifested into the powers of the senshi.   
In short, the newly re-created cyborg-outer senshi were no longer humans or even andriods,   
forsaking their memories of the past. They had become part of the Network. And they abided and abused   
its laws.   
  
"Got it!" Hotaru's voice penetrated the thickness of Haruka's thoughts, jolting the sandy-haired   
woman back into reality.   
  
"Got what?" Haruka muttered, annoyed to have been distracted.   
  
The raven-haired girl gave no verbal response but, instead, punched in a key. Automatically, the   
screen displayed a variety of commands and functions, which flashed back and forth in variety of   
wavelengths.  
  
Michiru smiled, a triumphant look in her eyes. "Ha! Told you that that was the right part."  
  
"Which means we'll be paying a heck of a lot for the price of this." Haruka replied negatively.   
  
"I think it's more important that we got our communications link back up." Hotaru countered.   
"Although it will take a while for it to function completely."  
  
Haruka grimaced. "Damn. That means that we're still handicapped on any future missions."  
  
"Yeah," Hotaru admitted, "But we're not going to be doing any missions recently if we can help   
it."  
  
Haruka and Michiru exchanged glances.   
  
Michiru frowned. "Hate to break it to you, but Haruka is right. The price of that chip is going to   
cost us more than you think."  
  
Hotaru didn't like the sound of that. "Would you like to specify?"  
  
"The price of that model of chip," Haruka repeated, "Is going to cost us another hired mission. A   
mass assassination, you could say. And, it's at the heart of the Diet Force itself."  
  
There was a minor pause as the dark-haired girl took in what the tall blond was actually saying.  
"You've got to be kidding." Hotaru's voice was incredulous. "That place is so heavily guarded –   
geez, last time I tried to hack into there, it ripped off my Datashield like it was a piece of paper."   
  
Michiru nodded. "Prices are prices, and we got to pay for this, not matter what." She sighed,   
fiddling absently with her aqua-coloured hair. "Demo, looks like we're going to need a lot of help to   
complete this mission."  
  
Without warning, the door flew open on the startled trio. Immediately, the three assumed offensive   
stances, prepared for the worse.   
  
A tall dark-green haired woman, sporting uncanny blood-red eyes looked at the trio in front of her.   
  
"Setsuna!" Haruka exclaimed, a bit surprised. "Its good to see you again."  
  
Setsuna nodded, acknowledging her cohorts. "Looks like I came back just in time."  
  
  
  
Japanese terms used (very few)  
  
-chan: a friendly term attached to the end of someone's name  
demo: but  
  
Author's notes: And thus commences yet another fanfiction. I really think I went through a lot of means to   
defy every fanfiction law I originally held dear to write this. Reviews will be appreciated and any spams   
will be glibly ignored. Arigato! 


	2. Context 2

** I do not own Sailor Moon. Takeuchi Naoko and Toei animation does. I feel sorry for them, cause they have no clue what type of abuse their characters are going through... **  
  
  
Last time:  
(1.23 Auto hours, 8. 26 Network time)  
  
Setsuna nodded, acknowledging her cohorts. "Looks like I came back just in time."  
  
******************************************  
  
Now:  
(1.55 Auto hours, 12.43 Network time)  
  
Haruka watched, pacing back and forth impatiently, as the others were getting ready for this mission. Again and again she wondered how she had gotten herself into this mess-to-be in the first place. It was quite strange, because Haruka had gotten that communications chip when, about to give up after a fruitless search for that specific part, she had suddenly met -   
  
"Haruka, give a hand with this, will you?" Setsuna interrupted, gesturing to a strange chrome mechanism the green-haired woman was currently constructing.   
  
The tall blonde walked towards her comrade. "What is that anyway?" She asked, as she prodded the loosely interlocked metal plates.   
  
Setsuna smiled, revealing incisors that were previously hidden under dark red lipstick. "Oh, you could say that it's a pet of mine."  
  
Haruka's eyebrow arched in question. "Pet?"  
  
The garnet-eyed woman gestured for Haruka to hold several steel plates and other strange assortments before continuing. "Yes. It's quite an... interesting pet, for a lack of a better word. Not really my pet though. No more a pet than the Network Data-configurator is to Hotaru."  
  
Haruka knew all about the Data-configurator 's (nicked named by Hotaru 'DC') stunning obedience to the black-haired girl. "So... what does it do?" She questioned, still curious about this contraption.   
  
"Depends on what you want it to do." Setsuna replied, not really answering the question at all.   
  
Now that Setsuna had rapidly added the armour and other cybernetic nuances onto what had seemed like a hulk of wiring and metal, the "hulk" seemed to take an oddly canine or lupine form.   
  
"How about fetch?" Haruka joked.   
  
Setsuna smiled wryly at her associate. "Depends what you want it to fetch."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Michiru was busy re-checking all the weapons and other compartments that she didn't even notice when Haruka suddenly sided along beside her. At least, that's what Haruka thought.   
  
"What have you been up to?" The teal-haired woman suddenly spoke up in her softly teasing voice, even though she never looked up.   
  
Haruka sighed. There was no fooling her partner. "Helping Setsuna with her pet." The blonde finally replied.   
  
Michiru paused, looking queerly at Haruka while her other hand checked the settings of a Static laser. "Pet?" She repeated.   
  
Haruka threw her hands in the air. "Hey, don't look at me. That's what Setsuna said."  
  
Tossing back the locks of teal hair that had strayed into her vision, Michiru sighed. "Looks like everyone has a pet except for us," she joked.  
  
And the dirty blonde drew her face into a grin. "You sure about that? I think I already have a pet..."  
  
"Nah." Michiru countered, waving the tip of her well-loved Spark-whip at her partner. "This one's a bit too wild to tame."  
  
Haruka threw her head back in laughter. "Just my style".   
  
  
"Alright." Setsuna said, looking at her Datawatch while madly configuring what seemed like a flat black cube. "So, does everyone have their mission outlines?"  
Upon everyone's nods, she continued. "Make sure you take along a hologram projector with you. They're at about a setting of 8, but any Amplifier over the level of 8 will be able to see past your hologram."  
  
"I don't see why we have to bring a projector if they're so useless." Haruka retorted. "Why didn't we just re-configure the Datashield of the Network to also serve as a hologram?  
  
"Because while Network communications are relatively in tact, you'll find that projecting anything more than about 15 Cyberbytes of data will cause it to shut down on you immediately." Hotaru interrupted, locking direct gazes with Haruka.   
  
"All right." Haruka sighed under her intense glare. " I get it. No fancy stunts, no Cyber weapons other than the ones that are given... no nothing."  
  
"Anyway," Hotaru continued, "You're not going to get very far if you try. The Diet Force will probably just wipe your existence off the Network like squishing a fly."  
  
Haruka whistled. "I guess we're sorta dead then."  
  
"Well, I thought you always liked missions where you risked your life." Michiru teased at the blonde.   
  
"But not where I'll actually lose it." Haruka retorted.   
  
"Technically you shouldn't." Setsuna informed, "But the Diet Force have exerted too much power over the Network these days that the database has almost become THEIR database." She paused, thoughtful. "So, if we manage to make a few of the more prestigious and knowledgeable Amplifiers suddenly 'disappear', I think that we're free to roam the Network afterwards."  
  
"Good." Haruka hissed. "Cause we belong to the Network."  
  
"And the Network belongs to them." Michiru countered.   
  
" Hai, hai, I got the idea." The tall blonde answered. "I'll be careful in this mission, okay? Now stop giving me those warning glares."  
  
Setsuna nodded in dismissal at Haruka's comment. "Any other questions?" The tall dark green-haired woman asked.   
  
Absolute silence.   
  
"Good." Setsuna nodded. "Its time for Operation Diet to begin."  
  
While Michiru checked her weapons and other accessories one more time, Haruka muttered under her breath. "But I'm not fat."  
  
She barely missed being hit by a Cyber-boomerang.  
  
  
  
The guard was tired. He had taken the last shift today, and had done double shifts for the last two nights in a row, ensuring a most definite lack of sleep. Not to mention absolutely no leisure time. Oh, how he wished that he was sitting on his Virtu-bed right now, downloading a good article and simply relaxing. That thought only brought back the bitterness of his current situation, and the ache of his muscles under the strain of so much steel armour and stiff lining.   
  
"Hi. Do you know where I am?"   
  
The guard turned, shocked. No one usually came here at this time, and this voice was definitely not one that he recognized.   
  
A beautiful woman, with flowing teal hair and large doleful eyes, fell upon his vision.   
  
He was shocked. Clearing his throat at such a lustrous beauty in front of him, he tried to restate was he was supposed to say.   
"A-actually miss, but I think you're getting a bit too close to a restricted area. I think that only members of the Diet Force are allowed here only."  
  
The woman lowered her head and drew it closer to the guard's face, purring a bit. "The Diet Force? Really? You must be really important," She gushed. "But why would such a powerful enforcement like the Diet Force need human workers when they have the Network to do everything for them?"  
  
"Well," The guard admitted. "They prefer to use the Network for other more important stuff." He brought his voice down a bit in a conversational whisper. "You know, the secret important stuff."  
  
And the woman laughed with the sound of a million soft butterfly wings. "I see." For a moment, her eyes seemed to reflect confusion. "You mean, you don't know about any of the secret stuff and you work here?"  
  
The guard shook his head. "Actually, they don't usually tell people like us. The one's who do know are..." He suddenly bit his tongue as he realized that he was giving out very private information to this unknown stranger.   
  
Exquisite porcelain-blue eyes reflected back only him. "Something wrong?" She exclaimed innocently.   
  
He shook his head. "No, nothing. You do know what an Amplifier is?" He asked, voice back in a whisper again.   
  
The elegant enchantress had drawn closer, much to the delight and beating heart of the guard. "No." She admitted. "I'm not too sure." She paused, bringing one hand thoughtfully to her cheek. "I think I've heard of them... somewhere."  
  
"Well," The guard explained, "They're really important people, and the ones that access here wear a white star." He looked at the woman curiously. "That's really strange cause usually everyone knows about Amplifiers."  
  
"But not everyone knows that the Diet Force uses Amplifiers to access the Network." The seductress added.   
  
"Hai, not - " He stopped. And looked very suspiciously at the woman. "Wait a moment. How the heck did you-"  
  
He never got to finish his speech as was suddenly rammed against the gate walls, pinned by the incredibly strong grip of... the teal-haired enchantress. He tried to signal the alarm, but couldn't move even a centimetre as the woman started to shear his armour like a banana peel. The last thing his frantic eyes saw were the lullling siren's eyes of the woman before he felt a sharp pain on his neck, rapidly draining all his energy while he could only scream in silent agony. Draining everything he had as his world fell to eternity.   
  
Michiru stood up from her refresher, ripping off a piece of the man's uniform to wipe her mouth ever so politely. She grimaced a bit as she tasted her mouth.   
"Yuck. Next time I'll have to find someone who bathes more often." She commented to no one in particular.   
And with that, she disappeared into the night.   
  
  
Haruka was having some... technical difficulties. Well, if you counted being chased six high level Amplifiers "difficulties". The blonde turned another corner and leapt high into the sky, hiding behind the shadows of a door frame to avoid being seen or sensed by the Amplifiers.   
Her mission had been to SNEAK into the side of the building while Michiru distracted the guards, but obviously that wasn't working so well. Not that Haruka was afraid of the Amplifiers, but if she was caught, the Amplifiers could easily establish a communication with the Diet Force to get more power, mainly from the Network.   
"In other words, I'm in deep shit." Haruka muttered to herself, jerking her head a bit warily as a shadow passed by her.   
Now, the Diet Force would be even more ready for her if she tried to reappear back at that entrance again. However, there was always plan B.   
  
  
The Amplifier boss was getting tired of chasing the woman. Everyone's nerves were on edge as even after a full five auto-minutes, they still could not find her.   
  
"Boss, I think she disappeared." One of the lower level Amplifiers said to him.   
  
He snarled. "Humans don't just disappear in thin air, idiot!"  
  
"No you're right." A voice suddenly interrupted, husky and firmly feminine. "But I can."  
  
And suddenly, a shadow lunged towards him, and he quickly stepped back to avoid the swipe at what would have been the remains of his neck, had be reacted any later. He quickly drew out his Cyberlaser, and fired a few rounds into the thick of the night before he realized that she had indeed disappeared.   
"Come and face me, you bitch!" He shouted, vainly trying to find his quarry.  
  
"Should I contact the building's communications, boss?" One of the Amplifiers asked.   
  
He grunted in affirmation, never letting his vision idle. Suddenly, there was a muffled scream, and the acrid smell of burning flesh, followed by the shouts of several other Amplifiers in shock as they witnessed the fallen body.   
  
"Damn!" He heard himself curse, firing several shots into the direction of the dead corpse.   
  
Nothing happened.   
  
And split seconds later, twin glowing emerald-green eyes stared mockingly at him from the darkness.   
  
"She's here! Get her!" He shouted, waving with his neon-flashtube to reflect the woman's face. For a moment, he was unnerved by her absolute sneer of disdain. And then he reacted, pulling the trigger of his trusted weapon until it ran out of ammunition.   
  
From the smoke of the debris caused by his weapon, she stepped out, still in perfect condition. Several of the Amplifiers gasped in surprised, and withdrew their own weapons to ensue yet another round of firing.   
  
The woman simply opened her mouth in a laugh, and he could see for the first time that she had FANGS.   
  
His eyes widened. "Kuso..." And he immediately fumbled for his own communications device, the only other one available, now that the original carrier of the first one was incapacitated.   
  
A harsh blast of wind knocked the device from his hand, letting it clatter harmlessly to the floor. The woman grinned, face made even more contorted by the eerie light of the flashtube as she ground her heel into the communications device.   
  
"Clumsy, aren't we?" She teased, face still grinning like a Chesire cat.   
  
And before anyone else could react, she pulled out what seemed to be a neon flash-tube, although a bit pointed and elongated. The Amplifier boss lost his guard as he wondered how the heck anyone could attack with a flashtube.   
  
And any other though was suddenly caught off as a stabbing pain pierced his chest, impaling his heart. The last thing he heard was the low chuckling voice of the vampiress and the sloshing of his own blood as it gushed noisily onto the floor.   
  
Haruka chuckled as she watched the leader of the Amplifiers die slowly under her Cyber-Space Sword. This was just too easy. Then again, this wasn't what she was here for. The true part of her mission still lay within the Diet Building. These were only the mere scraps of the Amplifiers available.   
  
The tall blonde withdrew her sword, feeling herself smile in satisfaction as the corpse reacted by spluttering slightly. The way the man had suddenly burst like an overripe cherry with crimson blood had delighted Haruka, and she so wanted to have a taste of the succulent liquid. But there was no time, and that was enforced even more by the sound of several retreating footsteps.   
  
She leapt into the night sky with not even the slightest hint of sound, landing effortlessly to face the remaining Amplifiers.   
  
"What? Leaving so soon?" Haruka mocked, waving her glowing CyberSword threateningly at them.   
And with that slight warning, she was among them, her feline-like vampire eyes able to see them perfectly in the pitch dark that the Amplifiers vainly tried to find sanctity in. No, the night was HER domain.   
And Haruka laughed silently as the tore the last body apart, watching in glee as the blood splashed over her bare arms and hands, burning into nothingness under the light of her Sword.   
  
Yet, she couldn't just stand here all day and enjoy herself - she did have a mission to do. And so, leaving the happily torn shreds of decapitated blank-eyed heads and chunks of fingers and intestines to the other creatures of the night, she leapt to her destination.   
  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Smile! It's good for you! (looks at Ayanami Rei sketch on locker)... nah....  
Zoo says:  
  
I love blood! Especially when you bleed yourself, and then you can watch it gush slowly down your arm and leave a beautiful crimson streak. It doesn't taste very good though... sorta like my spoon. Maybe cause it contains iron?  
I also learned that there's this really cool place called the psychiatric ward. I have lots of fun talking to Mr. Timmons, although this strange nurse keeps on telling me that Mr. Timmons is unable to talk back. Obviously, I was very upset, and created a campaign that demands the freedom of speech of all walls. If you wish you join this campaign, I'll have to confirm your membership with Mr. Timmons.   
  
Eevee-muse says:  
  
Zoo is iNsaNE. End of story. 


	3. Context 3

I do not own Sailor Moon or the Matrix. Actually, this fic isn't supposed   
to be like the Matrix, but now that someone's mentioned it ^.^…   
However, I do own your puny lives and the existence of this entire   
universe so you can bow down to me and worship my greatness.   
  
Eevee muse: (BASH!)  
  
**********************************  
  
Last time:  
(1.55 Auto hours, 12.43 Network time)  
  
And so, leaving the happily torn shreds of decapitated blank-  
eyed heads and chunks of fingers and intestines to the other creatures of   
the night, she leapt to her destination.  
  
******************************************  
  
Now:  
(4.36 Auto hours, 9.17 Network time)  
  
The empty corridors of the stark white hallways in the Diet   
Building reflected a stature of hidden secrecy. And, as Setsuna and   
Hotaru ran down the stairways, their fleeting shadowy figures defied the   
very laws of security. For no one ever dared to intrude such a shrouded   
sector that it was uncalled for. Therefore, no one had noticed.   
  
This might have also been because of the two Cybervampire's   
holograms, or maybe even the temporary virus that a very dutiful hacker   
had released upon the security system. But whatever the case, those two   
figures now leapt and glided gracefully, their fully attuned senses and   
connection with the Networking sensing all the traps the Building had   
set. After all, it was stupid to send a force such as the Network to do   
intricate top-secret security measures when other Network-using forces   
could easily infiltrate it. Well, maybe not easily, but good enough. Good   
enough to show that the Network did not belong to the Diet Building.   
Not at all.   
  
Hotaru panted as she stopped around the next bend, eyes scanning   
for any people while Setsuna's senses were fully in tune with the   
Network.   
  
"How much longer do we have?" The black-haired girl asked,   
wary of any wandering building faculty.   
  
Setsuna looked around once more. "I'd say at least 2 Auto   
hours after we find the main database in this building."  
  
"TWO?" Hotaru hissed. "We don't have that amount of time.   
I'd say that they'll sense our presence in about less than 0.8 Auto hours,   
even less if they have an Anti-Virus configuration."  
  
"Which I bet they do." Setsuna nodded. "However, remember,   
Haruka will provide a distraction in cover for us. So, we're just going to   
have to count on her for now."  
  
Both former senshi turned another corner, faces and muscles   
tense and wary of every single action and movement. One, just one slip   
up would cost the both of them at least their lives.   
  
Suddenly, Setsuna spotted it. Or rather, she felt it. The direct   
humming chord within her mind that seemed to feed off the energy of   
the Network.   
"There." The older woman said, pointing to what seemed just   
like any whitewashed wall, not any more different. She gestured for   
Hotaru to follow, and brought a hand up to the smooth unyielding wall.   
  
Hotaru watched in surprise as the wall suddenly jerked open, to   
review a hidden corridor, which seemed to trail off into darkness. Well,   
it would have, it she had not had the nocturnal eyes of all vampire kin.   
Inside, there was a small dank room, crammed with different wires,   
switches, panels, screens – enough to keep the pair busy all day.   
The black-haired girl whistled in appreciation.   
"Amazing." She mused. "Their playground makes mine look like a   
child's toy."  
  
Setsuna nodded in reply, garnet eyes glancing and analyzing all   
the equipment and machinery. "This is exactly as I remember it."   
  
"What? You've been here before?" Hotaru asked, thoroughly   
shocked.   
  
The garnet-eyed vampiress nodded, although it was a rather   
distant nod. "Back then, I used to keep a good connection with this   
place, and this place helped run Tokyo until the time of Crystal Tokyo   
and even until the Fall."  
  
Hotaru fell silent, then spoke up again. "But… if this place was   
around for that long, how come I never heard of its name?"  
  
"You have." Setsuna responded. "It changed its name just   
slightly."  
  
At the name, the violet-eyed girl drew in an intake of breath.   
"Then… this Diet Force really was-"  
  
"- Yes", Setsuna interrupted, eyes stern and almost dismal at   
the same time. "The Diet Force used to be the government of Tokyo, the   
Diet Building."  
  
*************************************************  
  
By the time Haruka finally got into the sub-basement layer of   
the building, Michiru was already waiting, arms crossed in front of her   
with an impatient look on her face.   
  
"Distracted again?" Michiru commented, voice disapproving.  
  
Haruka shook her head. "You wouldn't believe the type of   
security this building hires."  
  
"What? Are they too rich for your cultured taste?" The teal-  
haired woman teased.   
  
Haruka rolled her eyes. "As if that was my least concern."  
  
Michiru glanced down at her Cyberwatch. "We've got about   
0.6 Autohours before the Network is going to be able to notify the Diet   
Force of our presence, and then another 0.2 Autohours before they   
actually will be able to spot us."  
  
"I don't get this." Haruka complained. "I thought that this   
mission was supposed to be an all out bloodfest, not some lets-sneak-  
into-the-back-door-and-wait-for-Setsuna-and-Hotaru-to-give-us-  
leftovers thing."  
  
Michiru sighed. "Look, we provide a distraction so that they'll   
be able to find a way to get us past the security and into the Conference   
room. No breaching Conference security, no nice clean kills."  
  
Haruka saluted smartly. "Fine by me." She took out a   
Cyberlaser, fondling it with one hand. "Hmm.. this suspense is really   
killing me… may I please hasten things up a bit?"  
  
Her partner responded by tsk-tsking. "Really, Haruka, all   
brawns and no patience."  
  
Haruka grinned. "I don't need patience." And with that, she   
fired a perfect shot at the security panel that they had hidden so well   
from. Immediately, a piercing alarm rang out, followed by a pulse of   
data that only the two Cyber-infiltrators could feel.  
  
Michiru watched as suddenly, the basement wasn't so empty   
anymore, loaded with Amplifiers and other Guards. She even noted   
warily that some of them were well equipped with Network-tracking   
devices, expecting a full-fledged battle. Well, she didn't really want to   
disappoint them.   
  
"All right." Michiru nodded at the oncoming attackers. "Looks   
like we're gonna need some power from the Network. After all, we   
don't want to be at a disadvantage, ne?"  
  
"If you say so." Haruka complied, and invoked her Network   
senses to maximum possible power. Immediately, the world changed   
around her, and everything became a mess of black. From that mess of   
black rose millions of billions of linear data streams, changing into   
eerie-green illuminated etches of figures and shapes under will. And,   
viewing through the Network's eyes, Haruka saw and knew everything.   
At least, everything there was to know.   
  
One of the more impatient guards immediately attacked, firing   
with his Cyber-cannon at Haruka.   
  
Haruka's eyes narrowed, and she focused on the stream of   
intense plasma-white light that fired from the cannon. It was nothing but   
data – just bytes of numbered information.   
  
Haruka   
commanded within her mind, viewing the moves and actions of the   
others through her enhanced vision.   
  
Immediately, the attack simply collapsed upon itself, and the   
attacker screamed in horror as his weapon fused and exploded onto him,   
the flying shrapnel impaling his arms, head, thighs, and prone body   
before shattering into a million of deleted Cyber-bits.   
  
Haruka smiled. This was just too easy. Sure, she couldn't kill   
the people directly on, but these humans were relying so much on their   
own weaponry and power that they forgot that they had gotten it from   
the very source she was now manipulating. The Network.   
  
Michiru noticed Haruka's cockiness, but her mind was at   
unease. Something, a small pulsating warning within the Network was   
telling her of something Haruka chose to ignore. This was just the   
beginning – something greater was coming. And it had enough power to   
simply wipe them out of their Network existence with a single   
execution.   
Was she scared? Not really. More…. Excited. Thrilled to have   
actually met a challenge. And, enjoying the moments where she easily   
watched the bodies of the low-level Amplifiers and guards rip into   
chunks of flesh under simply will power, she waited. Waited to be   
hunted.   
****************************************  
  
Setsuna jerked her head up from the Fireshield she was trying   
to navigate around. Her eyes seemed to go out of focus for a few   
moments, before returning to their harsh and centered gaze.   
  
"What's wrong?" Hotaru had noticed the older woman's shift   
in gestures.   
  
"Not good news anyway," Setsuna shook her head. "Looks like   
the Diet Force has found out about Haruka and Michiru."  
  
Hotaru's eyes widened. "How much trouble are they in right   
now?"  
  
"Eventually enough to kill them." Setsuna replied coolly.   
Noticing Hotaru's panicked expression, she stood up. "I'm going after   
those two. You stay here and try to figure out how to hack through this   
security. If you can get us in, then notify me before doing anything   
else."  
  
Hotaru nodded. "You know, this is really insane. Haruka's in   
trouble with the security of the Diet Force already, and here I am trying   
to figure out how to breach part of its security at the same time so that   
we can get into an even more high-security area."  
  
"What else were you expecting?" Was the older woman's only   
reply. "By the way, I'm taking Cyberos with me."  
  
Hotaru looked amused. "Not that piece of junk that you were   
assembling the other day, is it?"  
  
"The very same." Setsuna replied, "Although its best not to   
underestimate anything for junk."  
  
And with that, she left, a large crome-black shadow following   
in the green-haired woman's wake.   
  
*******************  
  
Michiru, ever on guard, was, however, not cautious enough to   
avoid a wave of kinetic energy that swept her from behind, with enough   
force to crumble an ordinary human to dust. Yet, Michiru wasn't human,   
and with lightning reflexes, she leapt into the air, agilely avoiding the   
second invisible blast of energy.  
  
"Haruka!" Michiru warned, scanning the scene of battle and   
carnage for the familiar face of her partner.   
  
A muffled reply was all that she got.   
  
The teal-haired woman narrowed her eyes, focusing hard on the   
data-streams of the Network, to try and track her invisible stalker. Yet, it   
left no presence – absolutely nothing.   
  
Suddenly, a blast of hot-white plasma flew in her direction, and   
Michiru immediately called upon the Network, unable to dodge it in   
time.   
  
She commanded,   
feeling the Network react immediately by ripping the very fabric of the   
attack apart.   
  
Yet, nothing happened. And, it was then, as the datastream-  
lacking missile was seconds away from shattering her prone body, did   
she realize exactly WHAT she was facing.   
  
Haruka froze dead in her melee of carnage and turned to see the   
figure of Michiru slam towards the wall, crimson blood and the   
blackened sizzling of metallic wire trickle slowly down her body. The   
blonde's eyes widened in both fear and anger, and with a powerful leap,   
she jumped clear of her opponents to her partner. Yet, it wasn't enough.   
It seemed as if an invisible glass cage had surrounded the injured   
Michiru, and as hard as Haruka clawed at the glass shield, she got no   
entry. Invoking her Network-sight, she saw that the shield was actually a   
series of impenetrable data, which wavered in the Network-vision like   
millions of green wires tangled into each other. Haruka cursed, and   
began to fire with her Cyber-laser, but to no avail. She was so absorbed   
in her task that it was too late when a blast hit her from behind,   
slamming the blonde vampire into the very solid invisible shield, and   
locking another barrier around the unconscious blonde.   
  
Oblivious to the pair, a dark voice seemed to chuckle within the   
confinements of the Network, growing louder and increasing in intensity   
until even reality could hear its artificial sound.   
  
The leader of the Diet Force had finally entered the battle.   
  
For a moment, the very fabric of the air shimmered with a   
strange twisting ripple, revealing a shrouded figure, which landed down   
on the battle-torn basement with deliberate ease. Taking purposeful   
steps, he walked towards the still figures of Haruka and Michiru, dark   
cloak trailing behind him, concealing a handsome and emotionless face,   
intelligent and strangely youthful. With the cloak still covering his   
vision, he placed on icy-cold hand on the side of the glass shield that had   
trapped the unconscious sandy-blonde vampiress, stroking the shield   
softly. And then, the hand balled into a firm fist, smashing past the   
shield, which broke into a million streaming green fragments of data   
under his command.   
  
"We meet again, Cybervampire." He whispered, believing that   
no one could hear his low purr. For a moment, he hesitated, as if unsure   
what to do next. Then, turning to Michiru, he smiled, as if noticing her   
for the first time.   
  
"And you." The master of the Diet Force bowed mockingly to   
the fallen form of Michiru. "Yes, you helped me immensely. I must   
thank you for your idiocy."  
  
His hand shot through the barrier, fingers gripping the frail   
form of the teal-haired vampiress's neck. He smiled, pulling her out of   
the shield by the neck and propping Michiru down by her partner, one   
unconscious body slumped over the other.   
  
And he stepped back, as if admiring his little setup like a quick   
masterpiece. "Ahh… yes. The way it should be." A smirk rose from   
under his cloak. "Such a pity, really. Such a pity."  
  
Suddenly, there was a click from behind, and the Master of the   
Network, the leader of the Diet Force, found himself face to face with   
the metal muzzle of a Cyberlaser.   
  
Cold penetrating garnet eyes glared at the Master, voice calmly   
concealing hidden emotions. "Touch them again and you might just not   
live past this day, Apollo."   
  
Without even blinking at the mention of his name, he seemed to   
shrug in indifference, bringing his hands up in mock defeat. "I see   
you've been busy these days, Setsuna-san…."  
  
Setsuna too shrugged the formality off, mildly surprised that he   
still remembered her, given that he wasn't an immortal like she was. In   
fact, she was quite astonished that he knew her name, since he had risen   
to power as the leader of the Diet Force only about a few decades ago,   
after his well-known father had died.   
  
"….Or, should I say – Sailor Pluto?" The taunting voice   
continued, waiting for the appropriate response.   
  
Setsuna's gun dropped out of her hands, clanging noisily to the   
floor. The room around them seemed to waver and revolve as the green-  
haired woman stared in shock. "H-how…" She began, stuttering and   
trying to make reason of this sudden taboo. No one had known about   
their senshi identities for centuries now, lest this person, with no   
connection to the Crystal Tokyo of the legends long ago.   
  
He allowed the older woman to pick up her Cyberlaser before   
continuing. "If I tell you, will you listen to me?"  
  
The former timekeeper contemplated that. "Depends what you   
want."  
  
And the master of the Network snorted, a derisive sort of   
laughter. "Depends what you get."  
  
"A promise then." Setsuna began, "A pact."  
  
"Fine, a pact. After all, you just might want to listen to this   
because it will benefit you and your Cyber-friends the most."  
  
It seemed for a moment as if the conversation was done, as   
Setsuna began to carry the prone figure of Michiru while the leader of   
the Diet force moved to help Haruka. At that gesture, Setsuna bristled, as   
if unsure of what to do. She knew she couldn't carry both of them, but   
she didn't want to trust that _man_ to Haruka.   
  
"By the way, Pluto, I can handle your friend her fine. And you   
might want to call off that pet of yours – you know we don't allow pets   
into this building."  
  
Setsuna, for once, found herself speechless to that comment.   
  
  
  
  
*******************************  
  
Author's notes:  
  
By the way, Myst_Lady… Michiru hasn't died ^^… not yet anyways.   
Unless you want her to die? Nah… the long drawn out process is much   
more interesting. After all, you gotta know the character before you do   
anything (painful) to them.   
  
Zoo says:  
  
Guess what? I have discovered the best way to battle depression! Its   
insanity! I would know cause I have first-hand experience! Come on,   
you too can have a free trial at no expense of mine :)   
  
Eevee Muse: Ara…. (sweatdrops)  
  
Ooh! Let's have a little voting session! Who do you think Apollo should   
be:  
  
1) Mr. Timmons  
2) A former Dark Kingdom general  
3) Mamoru  
4) One of the Sailor Starlights (haha.. you wish!)  
  
How about 5) I'm not telling you! ;p  
  
Go figure out yourself! I'll give you hints later…. ^_^ 


End file.
